Rail-joint.



S. SHULLER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIGATION FILED 11110.20, 1909.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

HTTOFP/VE Y3 ANDREW a GRAHAM 20" PHOTO-LIDQOGRAPHERS, WASH SIMONSHULLER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

Application filed December 20, 1909. 7 Serial No. 534,230.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON SHULLER, a subject of the King of Hungary,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to rail joints and the invention has for itsobjects, first, to pro vide simple and efi'ective means for holding theconfronting ends of two rails; second, to provide a rail joint havingpractically a continuous tread thereby obviating vibrations of rollingstock when passing over a joint; third, to provide positive and reliablemeans for fastening splice bars to confronting ends of rails without theuse of nuts and bolts; fourth, to provide a strong and durable railjoint that can be installed without the use of skilled labor, and fifth,to provide a fastening means for splice bars that will remain in alocked position and cannot be displaced by the jarring or vibrating towhich it may be subjected by rolling stock.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by anovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts that will behereinafter describedin detail and then claimed, and reference will nowbe had to the drawing forming a part of this specification, whereinthere is illustrated what I believe to be a practical embodiment of myinvention; but it is to be understood that the structural elementsthereof can be changed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Reference will now be had to the drawing wherein like numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rail joint. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view.Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of a detached splice-bar. Fig. 5is a perspective View of a pin adapted to form part of the joint, andFig. 6 is a side elevation of a key forming part of the joint.

The rails shown in the drawings comprise base flanges 1, webs 2 andheads 3, said webs being provided with a plurality of transverseopenings 4, which are rectangular for a purpose that will hereinafterappear.

Embracing the webs 2 of the railsand supporting the heads 3 thereof aresplicebars 5 and 6, the bar 5 being provided with rectangular transverseopenings 7 adapted to aline with the openings 4 of the webs 2. The outerside of the splice-bar 5 bordering upon the opening 7 is cut away toprovide seats 8 for the heads 9 of pins 10 adapted to extend through theopenings 7 and 4. These pins are rectangular in cross section and havethe outer ends thereof provided with longitudinal openings 11, which arealso rectangular. The splice -bar- 6 is provided with transverserectangular openings 12 adapted to receive the ends of the pins 10. Theouter side of the bar 6 is provided with a longitudinal groove 13extending from one end of the splice-bar to the opposite end thereof,said groove intersecting the openings 12 and alining longitudinally withthe openings 11. One end of the groove 13 is branched, as at 14,providing a V shaped member 15, which is formed integral with thesplice-bar 6 at one end thereof. I

Mounted in the groove 13 and extending through the openings 11 of thepins 10 is a tapering key 16 having a split end 17 provided with notches18 upon the upper and lower sides thereof, the notches upon the upperside being staggered with relation to the notch or notches upon thelower side. The large end of the key 16 has the outer side thereofprovided with a notch 19, the purpose of which will presently appear.

After the pins 10 have been positioned in the splice-bars 5 and 6, thekey 16 is driven into the groove 13 and the openings 11 to lock and bindthe pins 10 in engagement with said splice-bar. When the split end ofthe key 16 encounters the spreading member 15, the ends of said key aredeflected into the branched portions of the groove 13 and one of thenotches 18 is adapted to engage the pin 10 adjacent to said member andpre-.

vent the key 16 from becoming accidentally displaced. The taper of thekey 16 is suiticient to bind eachand every pin in the splice-bars, andby removing the spreading member 15 with a suitable instrument, the key16 can be removed by using a suitable instrument to engage the key atthe notch 19, said notch providing a shoulder for the grip of a suitableinstrument. Should it be desired to again use the splice bar from whichthe spreader 15 has been removed, the

split end of the key can be spread apart by a suitable tool after thekey has been driven into position. In making the pins 10 and theopenings through which said pins pass rectangular, the pins areprevented from rotating, but it is Obvious that the pins can be madecylindrical in so much that the key prevents said pins from rotating.

It is thought that the utility and manner of assembling the variousparts of the joint will be apparent without further description.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a railjoint, the combination with rails having the webs thereof provided withrectangular openings and splice-bars adapted to brace the web portionsof said rails, said splice-bars having rectangular openings formedtherein alined with the openings of said rails, of rectangular pinsmounted in said openings and having the outer ends thereof provided withlongitudinal alining rectangular openings, one of said splice-barshaving a longitudinal groove formed therein intersecting the openings ofsaid splice-bar and register ng with the openings of the pins, saidsplice-bar having the groove thereof branched at one end to provide aspread ing member, and a tapering key mounted in said groove and adaptedto extend through the openings of said pins, said key having the endthereof split and adapted to be spread by said spreading member, and theupper and lower sides ofsaid key at the split end thereof provided withnotches adapted to engage one of the said pins and lock said key inengagement with the splicebar, substantially as described.

2. In a rail joint, the combination of rails having the webs thereofprovided with openings, and splice-bars adapted to brace the webportions of said rails, said splice-bars being provided with openingsadapted to aline with the openings of said rails, of pins mounted insaid openings and having the outer ends thereof provided withlongitudinal alining openings, one of said splice-bars having a grooveformed therein adapted to intersect the openings of said splice-bar andregistering with the openings of said pins, the said splice-bar havingthe groove thereof branched at one end to provide a spreading member,and a split tapering key adapted to be driven into said groove andthrough the openings of said pins to impinge upon said spreading memberand spread the split ends of said key to lock said key in engagementwith said splice-bar.

In testimony whereof I afii-X my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

SIMON SIIULLER.

Witnesses:

A. H. RABSAG, MAX H. SRoLovrrz.

